Thursday, October 1, 2015

Christie's has withdrawn the four lots highlighted on LM from its sale of antiquities in London day. They could have been expected to fetch some £50,000 but will now have lost most, if not all, of their value.

It is unclear if the vendor or vendors will be returning the pieces to Italy.

This case once again highlights the weaknesses in Christie's due diligence process. This issue is of particular concern given the reassurances that are being given over the ability to identify surfacing antiquities derived from Syria.

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About Me

David Gill is Professor of Archaeological Heritage and Director of Heritage Futures at the University of Suffolk. He was a Rome Scholar at the British School at Rome and a Sir James Knott Fellow at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He was subsequently part of the Department of Antiquities at the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, and Reader in Mediterranean Archaeology, Swansea University. He holds the Archaeological Institute of America's Outstanding Public Service Award (2012).